Home is Where the Heart is

This past spring my husband Richard and I moved into our newly built “dream” home. We bought our first home in 1966 (see the photo included above), and at the time, I thought no other homeowner experience could ever match the thrill of that very first one.

However, through the years I have learned that one’s home is indeed even more than their castle – it is the spirit of their heritage, the expression of their principles, the warmth of their hearts and their hope and vision for the future. It provides an avenue for sharing their hospitality. It becomes their shelter from outside storms and further, it often offers a safe haven for family and friends. When embraced, being a homeowner is a blessing beyond compare and an opportunity to make a difference in our neighborhoods, our communities and our world!

Unfortunately, home ownership worldwide is not as attainable as it is for those of us living in the United States and Canada. As so often happens with such amazing opportunities, we often find ourselves taking this gift for granted. Now, more than at any other point in our history, home ownership is within reach and can become a reality.

In fact, the U.S. national average on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 4.36% in August…which is lower than it’s been in the past half century!

Taking advantage of the existing remarkable home ownership opportunity creates a positive, far-reaching ripple effect within our society and nation. On a personal level, the joy of owning and creating a home that reflects our character and provides a backdrop for sharing our hospitality helps build a sense of stability and a desire to enrich our lives through reaching out to those around us. Nationally, home ownership allows us to be part of the solution to our country’s current economical situation as we help re-build confidence within our own communities.

Often as I am drinking in all that I love about our home – how it warms us from the outside cold or cools us from the heat; provides peacefulness from outside hostilities; offers comfort and rest when we are weary; contributes to precious memories; and always welcomes our presence, I am reminded of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz when she decidedly declares, “There’s no place like home.” That is so true because most definitely, “Home is where the heart is!”

3 comments on “Home is Where the Heart is”

Mo, I love your heart and your passion! You just get it!!! Spoken with such insight into the soul of home ownership…..I love listening to you speak. Thank you for sharing your vision and insight on what homeownership truly means in the heart and soul of man….an woman of course! :O)

I love when people talk about their first home or the home they raised their children in. My mother in law has a charcoal drawing hung on her wall of the home she raised her kids in…a wonderful sentiment now that she is in a new place. Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts.